Friday, 3 June 2011

Mum

Just last night my dear mum passed away. She had battled non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for some years. She was a beautiful, generous person and I'm going to miss her so very much.

Mum's life has had lots of contact with doctors over the last six years or so. Not just contending with the lymphoma, but also having repeated surgery for a thoracic aortic aneurysm, and various other issues. Her oncologist was unfailingly kind and thoughtful and gave mum such confidence. She was genuinely fond of him and all the team at the Bedford Primrose unit. Most of mum's care featured great sensitivity and was a real credit to the much maligned and stretched NHS. Her care during her last week at the local Sue Ryder Hospice was truly heart-warming-in fact it was stunning and a great comfort to our family.

Living as a Christian is something mum has done since her early years. She had a simple trust in the Lord Jesus and his death and resurrection on our behalf. She had a reverence for God which lead to a very regular personal time in prayer and Bible reading. She was thoughtful in her faith, she would say to be me, "I've been thinking and praying about....and I really feel I should... " She lived out the practical implications of a living faith. It wasn't just 'churchgoing' or 'being a good person' for mum, it was living a life of gratitude to God for his grace.

Enjoying creation was typified by mum's love for her garden and her great love for people-and especially her family. She had quite a wonderful gift for friendship and even in later life kept up regular contact with so many people by her handwritten carefully scribed letters and notes. She was a faithful and completely reliable friend to so many locally and until more recent frailty made it difficult, entertained a steady stream of people at her cosy welcoming home. If I say that everyone she met loved her you'll think I'm going all gooey and misty eyed (I cant deny the latter), but just ask anyone she knew.